Life, 1919-11-20 · page 39 of 46
Life — November 20, 1919 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"A Petition"** is a humorous poem about commuter etiquette on public transportation. A man sitting behind a woman requests she return his newspaper after she finishes reading it. He acknowledges her distracting hat feather and accepts her reading his paper—he's simply asking for it back so he can turn the pages himself. The joke captures early 20th-century tensions in shared public spaces and gender dynamics: a man politely tolerating a woman's use of his property while maintaining his own needs. **"Gentle Rules for Family Practice"** offers domestic advice in satirical form, addressing fathers, mothers, and children about household interactions—don't start arguments before breakfast, mothers deserve autonomy, don't manipulate fathers for money. **"A Gamble"** discusses Rockefeller's ten-million-dollar donation to his Institute for prolonging human life, questioning whether people actually want longer lifespans given ongoing wars and social problems. The cartoon "Her Father's Car" (bottom left) shows what appears to be an automobile accident or mishap—typical slapstick humor about early motoring.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
889 A Petition AR Lady in The Seat Behind, Who reads my morning paper, Assuredly I do not mind This thrifty little caper Although the feather on your hat Oft tickles my poor neck, Not for a trifling thing like that Would I your pleasure wreck iy in The Seat Behind, A I've learned to know your taste; gn: Your favorite > 1 quickly find aN Hl : ? Ay) i) WOR Lest moments rare I waste. yee J al 5 yi ‘ The sporting news you find a bore, And stocks and bonds quite stupid, Bu 1d read forevermore “The Love Advice of Cupid.” you cc Dear Lady in The Seat Behind, My morning paper reading, I hope you're graciously inclined To hear my simple pleading favor slight on me bestow, And pacify my ra When you're through reading, let me know, So I may turn the page! M. L. F. Gentle Rules for Family Practice DON'T start anything before break: fast. To fathers: Remember that your boy will be disappointed if you don’t tell him at least once in his life that he had better go and live somewhere else and see how he likes it Every mother is entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of lost articles. Don't ask father for money just because he happens to be in good humor. If you do, he will begin to HER FATHER'S CAR throttle down his face, even when he wants to laugh A Gamble HE Rockefeller Institute has recently been the recipi ent of ten millions of dollars from its patron saint Mr. Rockefeller. This money, it is said, will be used for € purpose of prolonging human life What is the necessity? Do people want to pre There is no evidence at present ipport this y subm| mselves to er variety of form: Wars are n, are still doing t ne Joy et nimum by the reformer n Aun